Turnabout Technology
by Blackquill Grainbows
Summary: After a professional hacker is found dead in a public library, Apollo Justice is arrested as he was the last person known to have seen the victim before they died. Phoenix Wright takes up the case to defend his subordiante and sends Athena Cykes and Trucy Wright on a wild goose chase for the perfect piece of evidence. Slight Apollo/Phoenix. T for death (obviously).
1. Chapter I

Turnabout Technology

September 3rd

9:34am

District Court - Courtroom No.3

"Order! Order!" The Judge slammed down gavel in a vain attempt to gain control over the court again.

"No way...! I refuse to believe this!" breathed Phoenix Wright staring at his client who sat ridged in fear in the defendants' chair.

"As you can plainly see, no one else but Mr Justice could of committed this terrible deed" the annoyingly squeaky voice of Gaspen Payne made itself known at the Prosecutors' bench.

Phoenix slammed his hands down at his own bench.

"There is no way he could of done it! He has no logical motive!" Phoenix struggled to find a flaw in Prosecutor Payne's deductive reasoning. This was one case he could not afford to lose, for Apollo and to lose to a Payne.

"Can you topple the evidence?" Gaspen smugly tapped his oversized toupee "I can finally seek vengeance for myself and my brother!"

Phoenix glanced desperately at Apollo and the evidence laid out messily on his bench.

'Maybe if I revise the case again, I might find something that will help?' Phoenix thought hastily as he examined and tidied his evidence.

Phoenix's understudy, Apollo Justice, had been convicted of murdering Gigi Byte; an old collage friend of his who specialised in computer hacking. Gigi's body had been found in a local library's computer corner slumped in a chair with the words 'AP0LL0 JU$TIC€' typed on the screen. It didn't help that Apollo's fingerprints where found on the murder weapon, a computer mouse cord used to strangle the victim, but an eyewitness presented itself at the start of the trial. Unfortunately, that witness turned out to be Gigi's brother, Terri Byte, who wasn't on the best of terms with Apollo as Terri was highly obnoxious and couldn't handle losing to Apollo in a chess game; a game that Apollo was just a rookie at. To top it all off, Apollo was caught entering the library with the victim on the entranceway security cameras an hour before the victim was murdered.

"Uhm, hellllloooo?! I'm still here, ya know?!" Terri angrily yelled as he was starved for attention.

Terri Byte himself was the very aspect of 'stuck up snob'. His dirty blonde greasy curls were combed back, with thick spectacles sitting on his crooked nose, which covered his real shade of eye colour. He wore a white jacket that had two pockets that each contained some sort of newfangled gadget. Terri's pant's were a disgusting shade of green but proudly bore it's ridiculous price tag dangling from the side. His beige sandals clapped noisily as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"I could of gotten as old as Nana Byte turning the time it took you, Analog Lawyer, to notice me!" remarked Terri snidely, he pulled a thin toothed comb from his left shirt pocket and combed back his unkempt hair.

"I was just momentarily think-" Phoenix was interrupted by a calculator thrown at his face which expertly crashed against his forehead and slithered down his face.

"No excuses! Stupid Apollo is guilty! Stop trying to save him from his fate!" Terri barked waving another calculator threateningly.

"Hmm... I'm sorry, Mr Wright, but I do agree with our witness here. Mr Justice is obviously guil-" the Judge was cut of by a loud "OBJECTION!".

"Whew! Looks like we made it in time!" The courtroom doors flew open to welcome Athena Cykes and Trucy Wright.

"What a way to enter!" giggled Trucy oblivious to the many pair of eyeballs in her direction.

"Boss! I've got the evidence you requested!" Athena called as she jogged to Phoenix at his bench.

"Great, thanks!" Phoenix answered cheerfully while mentally adding 'I hope we don't get charged for contempt of court while we're at it'.

"Excuuuuuuse me! What evidence?" Gaspen inquired adjusting his jet black glasses curiously.

Athena turned and frowned at Gaspen before swinging Phoenix's briefcase like a pendulum.

"Evidence that gives Terri-ble here a run for his money!" Athena poked her tongue out at Terri.

She undid the lock on the briefcase and laid it out on Defenses bench before opening it.

Athena was careful to put on gloved before extracting the important item from the shadowy bowels of the brown briefcase.

"Ta da! The true murder weapon!" Trucy chimed in and did her jazz hands.

"The true..." Gaspen began.

"Murder weapoooon?!" finished Terri nervously throwing random junk from his shirt pockets onto the courtroom tiles.

A long red bow dangled from Athena's gloved fingertips precariously.

"Remember how before Mr Wright found it peculiar that the victim's hair bow disappeared? Well, it was 'cause it was the real murder weapon" Athena explained placing the string back into the briefcase and sliding it to Phoenix.

"OBJECTION! B-But the computer mouse was the only thing that could of killed Ms Byte!" spluttered Gaspen.

"OBJECTION! Take a look at the crime scene photo! Particularly around the victim's neck" Phoenix retorted confidently.

'Could this be all the proof I need to free Apollo?' Phoenix asked himself and took one quick glance at Apollo who was studying Phoenix's expressions carefully.

"What the defense claims is true! The hair string marks match the one on the victim's throat!" the Judge thoroughly examined the photo of the hair bow and crime scene before raising his eyes.

"I... Aha!" Gaspen snapped out of his phase and confidently tapped his toupee.

"...What?" Phoenix knew that Gaspen had something up his sleeve.

"That doesn't change anything; the fact that the bow was the true murder weapon doesn't prove the defendant's innocence one bit".

"...Actually, that's where you're wrong" Phoenix stared Gaspen straight in the glasses "Because, this piece of string contains different fingerprints!".

"Gah!" Gaspen had waterfalls of sweat gushing from his wrinkled skin.

"Who do these prints belong to?!" the Judge could feel his beard quivering in excitement.

"...Killian Byte, our victim's younger cousin".

Sudden shuffling of feet and grunting spurted from the gallery as a tall, thin silvery blonde headed man got up and rushed for the exit.

"Bailiff! Go after that new suspect!" yelled the Judge slamming his gavel down to silence the murmurs from the gallery.

"I've got 'em, Mr Judge!" chirped Trucy as she swiped a rope from her cloak that came seemingly from nowhere.

She spun the rope like a lasso a few times in quick succession before throwing it at Killian.

It hooked right around his pointy chin and dragged him to Trucy.

"Gotcha!" Trucy threw the tangled Killian into the Bailiff's arms.

'Isn't that Apollo's line?' Phoenix thought to himself and studied Apollo's face for any telltale signs that he thought the same.

But Apollo was sunk in the defendants' chair and was clawing his throat as he made awful gasping sounds.

"Apollo! Are you alright?!" Phoenix sprinted from his bench and over to the shaking young adult.

"Heh... your 'friend' is suffering from dry battery poisoning" chuckled Killian squirming in the Bailiff's arms.

"What is the antidote?!" To Phoenix's surprise, Gaspen Payne was genuinely concerned for Apollo's wellbeing.

"Morons! There is no cure! He needs emergency treatment but..." Killian cut of slyly and pulled a silvery lock from his eyes.

"But what?!" cried Athena rapidly rubbing Apollo's back to soothe him.

"It is too late, he is suffocating as his throat has closed due to the poisoning. He will die...!" Killian collapsed and whispered "...And so will I...".

The Bailiff and Athena were the only people that heard Killian whisper and exchanged a look of shock.

The entire court was buzzing and the situation was spiraling out of control, the people in the gallery pushed and shoved to exit and left the Judge, Bailiff, Trucy, Gaspen, Athena, Killian, Phoenix and Apollo in the courtroom.

Athena ran over to Killian and shook him violently.

"Did you poison him and yourself?! Do something!" Tears flowed from Athena's eyes and onto Killian's jacket.

"N-No..." he murmured "It... wassss... Megan Byte..." after the culprit's name was uttered Killian lost consciousness. A mixture of saliva and blood dripped from Killian's mouth and stained the courtroom tiles in a gruesome fashion.

September 3rd

2:41pm

Hickfield Clinic

Athena Cykes sat glumly in a flimsy hospital chair with her hands gripped together tightly in her lap. Widget, her robot necklace, displayed deep blue on it's face screen along with an unhappy face.

"Ex-Excuse me... Are you Ms Cykes?" a timid voice made her jump.

A meek looking nurse with mousy brown hair popped into view, quaking in her spot while clutching a green clipboard.

"Uh, yeah! So is Apollo okay?!" Athena leapt from her seat and faced the nurse who was slightly shorter than she was.

"H-He is in a c-critical b...but stable condi-tion" the nurse stammered "W-Would you like to s-s-see him?".

"Of course! Which room is he in?!" Athena asked a little too loudly and made the nurse even more frightened.

"J-Just follow me!" she squeaked and rushed over to one of the hospital door out of the many and gestured nervously to it.

"Mr J-J-Justice is currently r-resting, b-but you are f...free to see him" the Nurse turned the door handle with a shaking hand and waited until Athena had entered before slamming the door behind her.

'What's up with- Oh! Apollo!' Athena mentally screamed to herself before racing to Apollo's side.

His spiked bangs drooped as the result of the lack of gel and the rest of his brunette hair was sticking out in random positions. Athena could only make out a glimpse of the hospital gown he was wearing through the over hygienic bed sheets. Around Apollo was a bouquet of roses and 'Get well soon!' cards; Athena assumed that they were probably from Mr Wright and Trucy who had visited him earlier.

"Apollo..." Athena whispered and touched his arm, but her hand recoiled due to Apollo's frosty skin.

"Please wake up, Apollo" she struggled to keep her sadness out of her voice as she spoke to him.

Athena searched his face for any sign of Apollo listening to her, but his face was relaxed with a large breathing tube visibly down his throat.

Athena sighed and checked her surroundings; the sterile environment didn't bear much other than Apollo's heart monitor and his hospital report hanging teasingly from the end of the bed.

"What do we have here...?" Athena reached over and plucked the report from its place and flicked through it.

\- Hospital Report for Apollo Justice -

Given Name(s): Apollo

Surname: Justice

Age: 23

Blood Type: A+

Cause of Hospitalization: Has ingested Alkaline Dry Battery Cell, which caused a difficulty in breathing for a total duration of 2 Minutes and unknown amount of seconds.

Treatment Given: Injections were received to relax the muscles in the throat to enable the Bronchoscopy camera and tube to enter and remove the offending Alkaline Dry Battery Cell blocking the respiratory tract.

Athena snapped the report closed upon hearing approaching footsteps and scrambled to clip it back where it was hanging.

"Athena?" a familiar voice called uncertainly.

"Mr Wright! I didn't know you were going to come here again!" Athena covered Widget to prevent her boss from seeing her anger upon not being able to read the rest of the report.

"Yeah... me neither, until I heard that Killian Byte died from the battery poisoning" Phoenix Wright ran his hands through his spiky hair while letting out a long sigh.

"So... Did this 'Megan' girl really do it? Or was it Killian?" Athena asked coolly as she released Widget.

"Huh? Megan Byte? Oh, right! She is currently being hunted by the police force as her whereabouts is not known" Phoenix placed his hand on Athena's tensed shoulder.

"It's okay now; the court knows Apollo didn't do it and that evidence was fabricated" Phoenix chuckled softly.

"That girl has a lot of guts to poison Apollo! How did she manage to get him to eat it, anyway?" Athena flicked her crescent moon earring in thought.

"HOLD IT!" Phoenix yelled unexpectedly "Did you read through Apollo's hospital report?!".

"Erm...!" spluttered Athena as she hastily struggled to make up an excuse.

"Yes! Until she heard you walking down the hall!" Widget chirped happily.

"W-Widget!" scolded Athena as she tried to smother her necklace with her hands.

Much to Athena's surprise, Phoenix merely chuckled.

"I read through it as well... much to our jittery nurse's disapproval" Phoenix rubbed his hand behind his head embarrassed at his honesty.

"So is this trial still going to continue?" Athena glanced down at the sleeping Apollo sadly.

"After Megan Byte is caught the trial will reconvene" Phoenix began to play with Apollo's hair antennae by poking them down and waiting for them to rise before poking them again.

"...Boss... You and Apollo... You were pretty close, weren't you?" Athena watched Phoenix play his hairy game.

Phoenix stopped playing momentarily before replying.

"Yeah... I was his childhood hero and all..." Phoenix let a tear roll down his cheek.

'You have no idea how close we were...' he silently added.

"Please don't cry...!" Athena half begged half cried herself.

"...Athena, can you please wait outside?" Phoenix made sure not to make eye contact with her as he gestured to the door.

"S-Sure boss... I was thinking of heading back to the office anyway" Athena wiped her tears as she exited the room.

Phoenix leaned over and planted a modest kiss on Apollo's exposed forehead before slumping into the chair by his bed and letting all of his tears out.

"M-Mr... Wright?" a raspy voice called out nervously after a few minutes.

Phoenix looked up at the person calling his name and his heart swelled with joy.

"Mr Wright... I'm... I'm not fine..." and with that, the heart monitor let out one long echoing beep.


	2. Chapter II

September 3rd

3:06pm

?

The true culprit who murdered Gigi Byte and truly poisoned Killian Byte and Apollo Justice sat alone and entertained themself by watching Apollo's last seconds alive. The culprit's plan was a success; Apollo Justice was sinking into the depths of dying and they could finally make their next move.

"Farewell, Mr Justice" the killer watched him desperately try and be revived by a dozen or so nurses with a defibrillator through a camera planted in his hospital room.

The murderer laughed quietly with an unnatural tone as Apollo was shocked over and over again with electrode pads to give him back his gift of life.

But their plan was ceased suddenly, a man who the killer remembered to have defended Apollo at the trial lean down and kiss him on his overly sized forehead. The combined electricity of the defibrillator and the raw emotion of the kiss revived Apollo with a jolt.

The killer's eyes widened; they were not expecting this, Apollo was meant to die. The murderer glared at the spiky haired attorney once more before switching off their view of Apollo's revival and slithering back into the shadows.

September 3rd

3:08pm

Hickfield Clinic

"M-Mr Wright?" Apollo's vision was blurry and his only indication of Phoenix being beside him was his gentle grip on his chilly hands.

"Apollo..." Phoenix smiled even though his eyes threatened to spill with tears.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Apollo bluntly as he rubbed his eyes to get a better view of the world.

"You died, Apollo" Phoenix whispered and allowed his eyes to overflow with tears.

"I'm dead?!" Apollo recoiled in shock and ran his hands down himself to feel his thought-to-be ghostly body.

"No, no. You died momentarily; welcome back to the land of the living" Phoenix chuckled and caressed Apollo's cheeks affectionately.

Apollo held Phoenix's hand in place on his own pink cheek and looked up into his longing eyes.

"I... I'm not going to cry" Apollo bit his lip to stop it from quivering in sadness.

"It's okay to cry, Apollo" reassured Phoenix letting another wave of tears run down his face.

"A... a lawyer can only cry when it's all over" Apollo repeated the words his current mentor had once told him.

"Good point" laughed Phoenix softly "But for now, an exception can be made".

Apollo smiled before pressing his face into Phoenix's shoulder and finally letting his tears go.

September 7th

10:34am

Detention Centre

"Who ARE these people?!" Megan Byte scoffed from behind the bulletproof Detention Centre glass.

Phoenix sighed; after a four day manhunt, they finally arrested Megan Byte and took her straight to the Detention Centre where Athena and himself hoped to question her. But according to the first detective to interview her, she was less than cooperative.

"Hello, Miss Byte. I'm Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney and this is my investigation partner, Athena Cykes. We're here to ask a couple of questions".

"I don't have to answer any of 'em" Megan replied stubbornly.

Megan herself was almost identical in personality with Killian but had a slightly different taste in fashion. Her silvery blonde hair was tied up in a strict bun with a computer mouse keeping it up. Sitting on the bridge of her nose are thin silver glasses over her pale aqua eyes. She wore a white jacket as her brother, Killian, did with only one shirt pocket. Covering her legs are sky blue tights and on her feet are white mini heels with metal buckles.

"Listen, Mean-gen! We're just trying to do our jobs and you WILL be doing yours by cooperating!" snapped Athena with Widget turning an angry red.

'Where does she come up with all these nicknames?' Phoenix sighed inwardly.

"Hmph, fine" Megan pushed back a stray lock of hair "But I'm telling you, I haven't seen Gigi for awhile now".

CLANG CLANG CLANG

Two red Psyche Locks and one black one came down on her; as only Phoenix carried a Magatama to see the locks only he could see them.

"What is it, boss? You're staring really intensely at her" Athena studied Phoenix's eyes examining the locks which she could not see.

"Psyche Locks" Phoenix looked up to the surprisingly calm Athena.

"What are you two whispering about over there?!" ranted Megan from the other side of the glass wall.

"Nothing, Miss Byte. But we are now prepared to ask you questions".

"Just make 'em quick" Megan crossed her arms and gave the lawyer duo her full attention.

"Did you poison Killian Byte and Apollo Justice?" Athena asked seriously while Phoenix checked for which Psyche Lock would react to the question.

To his great surprise, the black lock quaked slightly and shaking more roughly as Megan talked.

"Yeah, I did it. I had two old batteries after changing them and I didn't want them to testify in court" Megan refused to make eye contact with te attorneys as she spoke.

SMASH

One of the two red Psyche Locks broke without warning, making Phoenix jump; though neither Megan nor Athena noticed this.

'What's going on? She was barely even questioned!' Phoenix yelled to himself mentally.

"Why didn't you want them to testify?! Tell the truth, Miss Byte!" Phoenix blurted.

Megan's pupils diluted and she tightly gripped her head, speechless and shaking.

"Because... Be...cause..." Her black Psyche Lock was shaking so violently that it collided with the chains around it.

"Miss Byte?" Athena called to her warily.

"Testify... I didn't... Krisss..." slurred Megan beginning to drift into unconsciousness.

The troublesome black Psyche Lock was wrapped in chains but still trying to shake.

"Why did you do this?!" Megan shrilled, banging her head against the glass "This isn't like you!".

'Did I press her too much?!' Phoenix worried and turned to Athena desperately to find her crouched on the floor, squishing her palms over her ears.

"Mr Wright...! So much emotional pain is being released by her!" Athena shouted frantically, still covering her ears.

'Do something, Phoenix!' he almost heard himself yell.

"Megan Byte...!" began Phoenix racking his brain for something to say "Er... It's me! Uh... Kris!".

Megan ceased her head abusing and looked up and Phoenix with a far-off stare.

"Krisss..." Megan moaned clutching her injured head "Why did you kill her?".

Upon hearing this Athena and Phoenix quickly exchanged glances.

"I'll only tell you if... you tell me who poisoned Killian and Apollo and why!" Phoenix pinched himself in a effort not to grin.

SMASH

The ringing of the black Psyche Lock was no more as it broke into small, spiritual fragments.

"Y-You poisoned them" Megan mumbled "You told them to... to chew on your own creation of gum during the trial with a battery in each... You didn't want them announcing that you were with Gigi at the time she died!".

Athena sucked in a gasp and Phoenix held his breath before asking the final, case-closing question.

"Who killed Gigi Byte?".

CLANG

Another black Psyche Lock dropped down with the previous red one as Megan's cold eyes focused and bore into Phoenix's before snarling a barely audible sentence.

"...Apollo Justice; who else could of?".


	3. Chapter III

Author's Note: Ahhh, once again our faithful author made a massive screw up and has to fix it. Also sorry for not uploading in a while, I had a stubborn writers block that refused to let me type :P I made some other fics while trying to think of more random ideas to convert to story like one about Bobby Fulbright being channelled by a rat... Yeah, okay I know, I'm crazy x,D

PS: The massive screw up is that Candice Arme is alive, yet Gaspen Payne was first introduced to prosecute the trial Candice was a victim in *crying* I fixed it up though, Phoenix thinks Gaspen is Winston *commence hysterical laughter while crying*

-  
September 8th  
9:58am  
District Court - Defendant Lobby No.3

Phoenix stared glumly at the polished timber doors sitting readily within the walls of the Defendant Lobby for someone, or a band of armored knights to come galloping through. However, Phoenix himself was only miserably waiting for the court's Bailiff to usher him quietly into the courtroom.

"Boss..." Athena began "I don't want the trial to start on a bad note, so lighten up!". She patted Phoenix on the back a few times to emphasise her point.

"I know, I know" sighed Phoenix "I'm basically returning a favour in this trial... I shouldn't do it so negatively".

"The worst of times are when lawyers have to force their biggest smile!" Athena stretched out a toothy grin.

Phoenix straightened up and briefly tightened his already perfect tie before spinning to Athena.

"Do I look like I'm about to serve some justice?!" beamed Phoenix, striking a pose.

Athena's muffled laugh was the best response the legendary attorney could receive in a short period of seconds before the lobby doors softly creaked open.

"Mr Wright? The trial is about to begin" the entering Bailiff gave a quick salute before showing the lawyer duo to the courtroom.

September 8th  
10:00am  
District Court - Courtroom No. 3

"Court is back in session for the trial of Apollo Justice" with one swift pound of the Judge's gavel, it was official.

"The defense is ready, your Honor" Phoenix confirmed with a nod.

"And I'm guessing the prosecution is not ready" the Judge looked over at the prosecutors bench.

"Your Honor!" the Bailiff yelled from the courtroom entrance "The prosecution is arriving from his jail cell now!".

"Cell...?" the Judge blinked "Was Mr Payne arrested for some crime?!".

"Your Baldness..." a rough voice chirped out "How it pleases me to greet you again".

The incarcerated prosecutor, Simon Blackquill, stepped unwaveringly into the courtroom. Complete with his samurai garb, shackles and pet hawk, Taka, riding on his shoulder.

'Oh no... Not him' Phoenix felt sweat dripping off his skin.

"P-Prosecutor Blackquill?!" exclaimed the Judge "I hope you didn't kill Mr Payne!".

Simon made his way over to the prosecutors bench before replying.

"Hmph, that Pestering Periwig alerted the Chief Prosecutor earlier today to tell he was calling in ill. The Chief Prosecutor then called Fool Bright to prepare me for this trial" Simon explained gruffly "Which leaves my sleep disturbed for this trial".

'Does this guy even sleep?!' silently argued Phoenix.

"Hold on... When you say 'Chief Prosecutor' you don't mean... the Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth?!" Phoenix interjected inquiringly.

"That is what I said, did I not?" huffed Simon, with his back to the defense attorneys.

"No you didn't" Athena cut in calmly.

"Well let your ears listen favourably upon my voice, I will say it now: Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth was phoned, then selected me for this position. This doesn't need to be debated".

'Damnit Edgeworth, you just made my job a lot more harder' Phoenix scolded in his mind.

"So... Erm, is the prosecution ready?" the Judge stammered.

Without speaking, Simon tossed his head and Taka flew to attack the Judge.

"Eek! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" apologised the Judge hastily "You're ready and I'll do the opening statement!".

"No... it wouldn't feel right... I will do the opening statement" Simon declared before whistling for Taka to retreat.

"Would you look at that? Prosecutor Blackquill is doing the opening statement!" noted Phoenix with surprise.

"He probably knows how big of an impact this case has on us" Athena stared over at the prosecution memorably.

"During the last session, it was proved that the murder weapon had been incorrect and the real murder weapon was the victim's hair bow. With this new thread of evidence, it was found to have another set of fingerprints not belonging to the defendant. The finger print owner was poisoned during that trial and told the name of who poisoned him, which caused for a wide scale man hunt" Taka held in his beak a sheet of paper Simon was reading off.

"So where was the poisoner eventually found?" the Judge asked, with his brow furrowed in concentration.

"...In her apartment, holding this" Simon presented a cyan tube to the court.

"Care to explain what that is exactly...?" Phoenix inspected the tube from afar but couldn't make any logical connection to what it might be.

"This is a regular tube of 'Bliss-Mints' but inside contained three spherical batteries... the same kind used to poison Killian Byte the other day".

"Hey boss, I've had Bliss-Mints before. They're like minty fruit" Athena licked her lips in remembered favour.

'That doesn't sound too pleasant' Phoenix shuddered at the thought of tasting a Bliss-Mint.

"Ah, I believe Mr Justice was also poisoned with one of those...?" the Judge continued the main topic.

"Oddly enough; but to discover the poisoner's motive, we must ask them ourselves" Simon smirked and tapped his forehead "The prosecution calls Megan Byte to the stand".

Almost immediately, Megan was manhandled away from her seat and onto the Witness Stand. After a night in the holding cell, Megan's silvery hair bun was fairly loose and her clothes were wrinkled.

"...State your name and occupation" growled Simon automatically.

"If it's you who's asking then sure" Megan smiled slyly "My name is Megan Byte. I'm a computer programmer".

"Can you please give testimony to explain why you poisoned two people?" the Judge asked.

Megan turned to the Judge and gave him a cold, fixed stare.

"Do I have to, gramps?" she snarled.

"Urk! Terribly sorry miss but-" the Judge couldn't finish his sentence as a USB stick came hurling towards him.

"Forgive meeeeeeeee!" desperately shrieked the Judge, ducking under his desk to avoid the blow.

"...Techno Twit, do not frighten the elderly like that" Simon sighed "Now respect the old man's wishes and give testimony".

"Techno... Twit? Whatever suits your hardened abs" Megan pulled back a strand of loose hair.

"HOLD IT! M-Miss Byte, would you please keep your... dark fantasies to yourself?!" Phoenix interrupted embarrassingly.

"What? Are you having a hard time resisting the prosecution?" Megan replied lazily.

Phoenix felt a blush creeping across his cheeks, with that blush intensifying as Megan's described mental image began leaking into his head.

"Aha! I knew it! Phoenix Wright... No, THE Phoenix Wright has a thing for Prosecutor Simon Blackquill!" laughed Megan, with the computer mouse in her hair clicking with every laugh.

"N-No..." Phoenix croaked uselessly.

"OBJECTION! First off, my Boss is getting cosy with Apollo Justice; and secondly, Prosecutor Blackquill, shouldn't you be doing something about this?!" shouted Athena, slamming her hand on the defenses bench.

To her surprise, Simon had his back to her, something he only did when he was disinterested with the conversation.

"Uh..." Athena sank slightly "Prosecutor Blackquill...?".

Simon stood up and turned around slowly; revealing a small amount of colour blotched on his cheeks.

"I-I agree" Simon coughed to cover up his embarrassment "Witness, cease your harassment of the defense and give your testimony".

"Fine, whatever, Hot Quills" yawned Megan, crossing her arms.

"Is it safe to come out now?" squeaked the Judge from under his desk.

"...Y-Yes, your Honor" Phoenix answered, still flustered.

\- WITNESS TESTIMONY -  
~ Why I poisoned two people ~  
1: Before the trial, I was with Killian...  
2: Killian informed me that his fingerprints were going to show up on the murder weapon...  
3: Then he asked me to poison himself and Apollo so they didn't have to testify...  
4: So I gave one to Killian and managed to slip one to Apollo.

"...To silence them... Interesting" Simon mumbled rather loudly.

"It doesn't seem like she's put much effort into this testimony" commented Athena quietly to Phoenix.

"I smell a contradiction already" Phoenix kept his eyes steadied on Megan.

"Would you hurry up and cross-examine? I'm really craving a Bliss-Mint" Megan snapped, her voice like an icy blade slicing the thick tension.

"I-I agree. You may now begin your cross-examination" added the Judge who was clearly terrified of Megan.

\- CROSS-EXAMINATION -  
~ Why I poisoned two people ~  
1: Before the trial, I was with Killian...  
2: Killian informed me that his fingerprints were going to show up on the murder weapon...

"OBJECTION!".  
"Miss Byte, what does this look like to you?" Phoenix presented the computer mouse that was thought to be the murder weapon.

"...An old looking computer mouse, probably made in 2012 or something" Megan somehow managed to produce a tube of Bliss-Mints and was chewing a mint absent mindlessly.

"And what was the murder weapon?" Phoenix kicked himself behind the Defenses Bench to prevent himself from smiling.

"It was announced before the trial; it was Gigi's bow" Megan popped another mint into her mouth.

"Miss Byte, I would ask you to refrain from lying to the court" Phoenix could no longer hold his smile and let it stretch across his face.

"What?!" barked Gigi, clenching the Bliss-Mint tube tightly in her hand as small beads of sweat generated on her face.

"Because there was no way you could of known this!" Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench "As the true murder weapon wasn't known until during the trial!".

"Gah!" spluttered Megan, spilling many Bliss-Mints onto the courtroom floor.

"Witness! What is the meaning of this?!" the Judge forgot his fears and questioned Megan upfront.

"W-Well..." more of Megan's sweat formed and dribbled onto the floor with the dropped Bliss-Mints "I just misremembered! Killian's finger prints were on the mouse cord!".

"...Sorry Mean-gen" Athena falsely apologised "But only Apollo's fingerprints were found on the mouse".

*Ka-tonk!* A floppy disk collided with Athena's forehead, causing a tiny patch of pink.

"Witness!" barked Simon "You will tell this court the truth!".

Simon then promptly raised his fists and slammed them against the prosecutors bench, causing his shackles to break.

"Aaagggggaaaaaiiiiinnnnnnnn?!" howled the Judge.

"I swear that Detective Fulbright is purposely making those shackles flimsy" Athena studied Bobby's face in the gallery, which revealed a big, wide justice-filled grin stretched across his broad face.

Simon reached to his side as if he was about to draw a katana and spat his hawk feather above Phoenix, which then gently glided down until Simon flicked his finger at mach speed and sliced the frail feather in two.

"Gah!" Phoenix allowed his face to droop in utter shock.

"This battle is drawing nigh, Wright-dono" Simon reached for his 'sword' again "Now we'll see how far you're willing to go for your precious client".

'Can we not?!' Phoenix mentally suggested.

"So witness..." the Judge relaxed his furrowed brow "You've managed to become caught up in the midst of a duel, only the truth will save you while you have the chance. Your revised testimony, Miss Byte".

"Gack!" Athena raised her hands to her mouth in surprise "I forgot Megan was still here!".

"As long as Hot Quills stays, I'll stick around" replied Megan, giving the briefest of winks to Simon.

'I didn't know anyone could actually be attracted to the Twisted Samurai' Phoenix mentally noted Simon sighing warily with Megan's flirting.

\- WITNESS TESTIMONY -  
~ Revising the 'truth' ~  
1: I just misremembered what actually happened...  
2: Killian told me before the trial 'My fingerprints will be found on the murder weapon'...  
3: He never specified what the weapon was, so I assumed it was the hair bow...  
4: Because I never saw the trial and never heard what the false murder weapon was...  
5: But as I was instructed, I poisoned Killian and Apollo.

"...This clears up things in great detail" the Judge remarked.

"Detail or not, I have my doubts about the cross-examination" smirked Simon.

"Cross-examining someone always reveals new information!" Athena bursted "You should know that, Prosecutor Blackquill!".

"Whatever the case, the defense may now cross-examine the witness" the Judge announced before Simon could reply.

\- CROSS-EXAMINATION -  
~ Revising the 'truth' ~  
1: I just misremembered what actually happened...  
2: Killian told me before the trial 'My fingerprints will be found on the murder weapon'...

"HOLD IT!".  
"Miss Byte, did he specify what the murder weapon was?" Phoenix pressed.

"If you would just wait for my next sentence then this will be explained" Megan popped another mint into her mouth and chewed on it with a frown.

3: He never specified what the weapon was, so I assumed it was the hair bow...

"HOLD IT!".  
"Did the victim always wear a hair bow?" asked Phoenix.

"No. She doesn't... didn't wear it very often" Megan twisted a strand of loose hair "I really only knew about it because of the crime scene photo".

"Mr Wright, is this statement important to the case?" the Judge inquired.

Phoenix pondered for a few seconds before sealing his opinion.

"Yes, your Honor! I believe this should be added to the testimony!" Phoenix replied, adding a brief nod to show his certainty.

4: Gigi doesn't wear the bow often; but it turned up in the crime scene photo when I was interrogated.

"OBJECTION!".

"W-What?! But she doesn't wear it often!" Megan tugged on her mouse cord in frustration.

"That's not what I'm objecting to" Phoenix reassuringly felt the evidence to the case in his briefcase.

"...Continue, Wright-dono" spoke Simon.

"The hair bow wasn't found in the crime scene photo at all!" Phoenix yelled boldly.

"...Agh! W-Well... I made a-another mistake! The... markings! That's how I knew!" Megan squeezed on her Bliss-Mint tube which threatened to overflow with mints.

"I'm sorry, Miss Byte, but it would of been impossible to tell that was the hair bow with only the markings" Phoenix shook his head.

"Ack! B-But...!" stammered Megan.

"Just give it up and tell the truth already!" Athena piped up.

"Nooo..." groaned Megan "I-I can't...".

CLANG CLANG  
One red and one black Psyche Lock materialised around Megan, covering her with a heavy, chain burden.

'Not this again' Phoenix swallowed roughly, if Megan went haywire again he'd have a hard time explaining to the court the psychic locks surrounding her.

"Miss Byte..." Phoenix used his soothing voice to reassure her "Do you have any idea of anyone that could of committed murder?".

'If I straight out ask her, she'll climb out of the darkness and accuse Apollo again...' Phoenix held in a sigh.

"Y-Yes..." Megan answered shakily, digging her fingernails into her scalp.

"Do they go by the name of... Kristina Vzlomat?".

"...AGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Megan screamed at the top of her lungs before collapsing on the Witness Stand.

...CLINK

The black Psyche Lock that contained forgotten secrets quietly vanished; as the lock fragments faded, Megan's memory was restoring.

"I... I know!" shrieked Megan happily "Kristina Vzlomat! Professional hacker! Her skills could only be matched by Gigi's!".

"...I don't mean to interrupt..." sheepishly cut in the Judge "But, do you think you could put what you know in a testimony?".

"S-Sure!" Megan straightened herself up; her eyes were no longer clouded and steely but clear and bright.

"Boss..." Athena breathed "It's like she's a whole different person now...!".

"That's what Psyche-Locks do to you. Protect your secrets, sometimes even from yourself" Phoenix kept his eyesight on the transformed Megan.

'Prepare yourself, Kristina Vzlomat, this next testimony will drag you to the stand' Phoenix warned her mentally, without sending the warning.

\- WITNESS TESTIMONY -  
~ Recalling memories ~  
1: Her name... Kristina Vzlomat! A professional hacker!  
2: Kristina's hacking skills could only be matched by Gigi!  
3: Kristina... was also there the night of the crime!  
4: It would of been simple for her to eliminate her rival!  
5: Using Gigi's hair bow, Kristina strangled what used to be her friend.

"Balderdash!" barked Simon suddenly "Techno Twit's credibility as a witness is poor and no evidence supports her claim!".

"...Prosecutor Blackquill, if you want to point out contradictions in the witness's testimony, then retake the bar exam and become a lawyer" the Judge retorted, with a better level of calm.

"That shut him up" remarked Athena, with the entire court staring amusingly at Simon.

"Besides that interruption, the defense may begin the cross-examination".

\- CROSS-EXAMINATION -  
~ Recalling memories ~  
1: Her name... Kristina Vzlomat! A professional hacker!  
2: Kristina's hacking skills could only be matched by Gigi!  
3: Kristina... was also there the night of the crime!

"HOLD IT!".  
"Do you have any evidence to support this?" Phoenix inquired.

"M-Maybe the security tape might turn up with something..." speculated Megan.

"...Prosecutor Blackquill" Athena began to the nightmare prosecutor "Did the police ever rewind the tape?".

"...Fool Bright" Simon made a quick signal by tossing his head.

"Haha! In justice we trust!" Bobby burst forth from the gallery and onto the Witness Stand".

"Well?" Simon scratched Taka's beak and feathers uninterested.

"Sorry to say, I'm not on this case!" announced Bobby, saluting with a gleaming grin.

"T-Then why are you even in this courtroom?!" chattered the Judge, with his eyes wide and unblinking.

"I'm the lead detective" a feminine voice called before Bobby could reply.

A serious looking woman with unusually short, bobbed hair and sporting black pants and a black jacket took to the stand.

"Who are you?!" Phoenix yelped surprised 'I never knew that a different detective was on the case' he silently added.

"My name is Candice Arme, detective" Candice held out her shining badge "And yes, we analysed the tape for the entire day of the crime and checked character profiles; no Kristina Vzlomat came in or out of those doors".

"Satisfied, Wright-dono?" asked Simon rudely before reaching to his side "Any other useless questions will be answered by my blade".

"Erk! W-Well... I have one mo-" Phoenix was cut off by the blurred events which unfolded next. Simon flashed out his finger which began slicing towards Phoenix when Bobby hastily pushed the button to activate the 'Jolt of Justice' on Simon's shackles. The final result was not pretty.

"Fool Bright...!" Simon panted heavily while gripping his chest.

"All questions must be answered one way or another, and violence is not the answer!" Bobby chuckled heartily.

"Oh, I see" the Judge nodded, seeming to be distanced from the present "You're here to provide protection against Prosecutor Blackquill here".

"...Sorry to interrupt this, but I believe there is no evidence supporting the witness's claim of Ms Vzlomat being at the crime scene" Candice shook her head, causing her bob to swing along.

"I believe you're right!" the Judge exclaimed.

"Ugh, boss! If we don't do something now, the Judge is going to stop our cross-examination and pronounce a verdict!" Athena's usually cheerful smile distorted into an angry grimace.

"Please wait, your Honor!" plead Phoenix "There's something else I need to question in the witness's testimony!".

"Hmm..." the Judge furrowed his bushy brow in thought "Alright then, but if you waste the court's time I will give you a harsh penalty!".

"Mango!" Athena addressed Megan while punched her open palm in determination "Please continue with your testimony!".

\- CROSS-EXAMINATION -  
~ Recalling memories ~  
1: Her name... Kristina Vzlomat! A professional hacker!  
2: Kristina's hacking skills could only be matched by Gigi!  
3: Kristina... was also there the night of the crime!  
4: It would of been simple for her to eliminate her rival!  
5: Using Gigi's hair bow, Kristina strangled what used to be her friend.

"OBJECTION!".  
"Miss Byte" Phoenix tapped the piece of paper he held in his hand "If Kristina had strangled Gigi, then why did Killian's fingerprints turn up on the murder weapon?".

"...Kristina wears gloves" Megan replied with an incredible amount of calm.

"She pulled that off like a pro" Athena commented.

"But no evidence has come forth supporting this" Phoenix pointed out.

"Actually, if I may interrupt" Candice stepped up to the Witness Stand again "Our investigation turned up with a pair of thin, leather gloves half wedged into the ventilation shaft in a nearby computer... but we dismissed this as naughty children mucking about".

Candice pulled out a picture of the gloves from her pocket and presented it to the court.

"Then how did Killian Byte's fingerprints get on the hair thread?" Phoenix stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Boss, don't you remember yesterday? Terri told the court that Killian often pulled Gigi's hair thread out for fun" Athena answered.

"O-Oh right!" Phoenix quickly covered up his embarrassment by clearing his throat.

'I wasn't really paying attention to the trial yesterday...' Phoenix admitted to himself.

"Mr Wright, do you believe this is substantial evidence to draw this Kristina Vzlomat to the stand?" the Judge's grip around his gavel tightened in anticipation.

"Is it, boss?!" Athena added pressure on, as if adding a layer of icing to a cake.

"Yea- I mean... Yes, your Honor" Phoenix closed the discussion with a nod.

"...And does the Prosecution accept this?".

Simon was leaned against his bench quite comfortably and flipped his head towards the Judge lazily.

"Do whatever, craziness is the core being this trial has been subjected to".

"...I'll take that as a yes" the Judge turned his ancient eyes to the gallery "We will have a thirty minute recess to summon the witness. Court is adjourned!".

With that, the Judge banged his gavel in self agreement.

-

So how's that? I'm going to introduce brackets ( ) as thoughts so for example as Phoenix...

"Wow! I can't believe that happened!" exclaimed Athena.

(Neither can I)

...Just like that. Also, because I have a mountain of written fics I haven't gotten around to posting yet, I'm just going to take my time with this fic but I hope to update soon! Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter IV

_**AN: Ahhhh! So very sorry for abandoning this fic for a few months! This has**_

_**actually been mostly completed for a while now but I only got around to finishing**_

_**it today... Don't hate me please? I have cookies! :3**_

**-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/**

** September 8th**

** 10:46am**

** District Court - Defendant Lobby No. 3**

"I can't believe I pulled that off..." Phoenix sank into the cosy couches

of the lobby.

"What a crazy trial. Even the Judge had his moments" Phoenix commented.

"Oh! You mean..." giggled Athena, unable to complete her sentence.

"When the Judge managed to get Prosecutor Blackquill to shut his smart aleck

mouth" Phoenix finished, chuckling along.

***BANG***

Both attorneys whipped their heads towards the direction of the sound.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal Megan laying on the carpet with her fingers

gripping her newly bruised head.

"Err... Hi" Megan sheepishly greeted, using one hand to wave.

"M-Mango! Were you eavesdropping on us?!" angrily inquired Athena.

"Well... Umm... Sort of" reluctantly but partially admitted Megan.

She straightened up and dusted herself off.

"But I've come in here to say something!" Megan announced dramatically.

'As long as you don't turn bitter and withdrawn on us...' Phoenix spoke to

himself.

"Well? Say it already!" pressured Athena.

"Why don't we go..." Megan took one of Phoenix's hands "Investigate the crime

scene!".

"Wha-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Phoenix snatched his hand back and disbelievingly

stared at Megan "We can't just waltz out of here!".

"But you didn't get to investigate it yet, did you?" Megan wagged her finger

cheekily "You might learn something new from checking it out!".

"B-But...! Prosecutor Payne is definitely going to find out and drag my name

through the mud a bit! ...And Prosecutor Blackquill will cut me in half!".

"Prosecutor Blackquill is going to be busy with the new witness and Winston

the Whiner is sick; we have the perfect chance here!" Athena chirped.

"Wait... wasn't his name Gasp-".

"Oh fine, but we've got to be fast" interrupted Phoenix who finally caved

in.

"Righty-o! Let's go!" Athena sang and bolted out the room.

"...This is the part where we run after her like madmen" Phoenix explained

to Megan before they began their pursuit of Athena.

**-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-**

** September 8th**

** 10:51am**

** Los Angeles Public Library - Visitors' Entrance**

The sound of shoes stomping against the pavement stopped as Athena skidded

to a stop at her destination. She flicked a lone droplet of sweat from her

forehead and gazed up at the magnificent library in awe.

"Woooaaaahhh! It's huge! I could get lost trying to find the toilet or something!"

exclaimed Athena.

Two trailing pairs of feet went into break mode too suddenly and caused them

to greet the footpath quite painfully.

"Owowow..." moaned Megan, slowly picking herself up from the ground.

"*huff* Athena why do *huff* we need to run all the time?!" Phoenix heaved.

Phoenix looked up after a couple of seconds of silence.

"...Athena...?".

"Boss! Mango! Hurry up you slowpokes! I'm already inside!" called Athena

from the library doors.

"Shhh, missy! This is a library!" snapped the elderly librarian from inside.

"Sorry, ma'am, she's just a lively one after all" Phoenix sheepishly apologised

for Athena as he walked into the building.

"Hmph! As long as she keeps the noise down, then she can remain lively in

this library" replied the librarian snippily. The librarian then resumed

her work on dusty books.

"H-Hey...!" cautiously whispered Megan "There's the crime scene...!".

Yellow taped marked 'Police Line' protected the crime scene like the chains

on a Psyche-Lock. Megan quietly lifted the tape and ushered Phoenix and Athena

through to the restricted area.

"Wow! This makes me feel like such a rebel!" Athena exclaims quite loudly.

"Shhhhh!" the librarian impatiently shushed from down the hall of books.

"Sorry!" mouths Phoenix, the librarian turns up her nose and begins to leaf

through books.

"See anything off?" asks Phoenix scanning the area for himself.

"Nothing from me, boss" Athena answers.

"I've got something" Megan announces quietly, the lawyer duo hurries over.

"You see this?" she points to a computer screen with 'AP0LL0 JU$TIC€' typed

on it "I've examined the document it was written on, and so far what I've

gotten is that this was created away from this computer".

"...So?" Athena and Phoenix say at the same time.

"I wasn't finished, I checked into where it was created and the first thing

that popped up was a bunch of garbled nonsense but then..." Megan taps a

few keys on the keyboard "It has the number codes for the digital address

of the computer it was created on. In short, if you find out what PC this

document was made on, then you've either got yourself a witness, suspect

or accomplice".

"Hmm..." Phoenix ponders for a moment "We defiantly don't have enough time

to-".

"HOLD IT!" Athena interjects.

"If you could get the address of the computer that created this, then can't

you get the time it was uploaded onto this computer?" Athena stretches her

mouth into a confident grin.

"I-I hadn't even thought of that!" Megan stammers excitedly "Sure! Give me

a minute- no, a second!" she bangs wildly on the keys at a speed faster than

Phoenix's eyes can follow.

"Done!" she yells triumphantly.

"SHHHHHHHH!" the librarian casts a nasty glare to the lawyers and computer

programmer.

Phoenix sheepishly rubs the back of his neck before getting back to serious

business.

"I've got the time" Megan whispers "And I'm not sure what the time of death

was so...".

"Oh, right! It was... 9:56pm? Wait, doesn't the library close at 10?" Athena

asked.

"So the time it was uploaded was... oh my goodness..." Megan sucks in her

breath.

"...9:43pm..." Phoenix reads out.

"Then it couldn't of been the victim's dying message" Athena places her hands

on her hips.

"Now we just have to present this in court at the right- OH SHOOT! COURT!"

Phoenix grabs Athena's arm and runs for the library exit.

"W-Wait for meeeeee!" Megan calls from behind.

"FOR BOOKS SAKE, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO SHUT YOUR TRAPS?!"

the librarian stomps after them with a seven inch thick encyclopaedia in

her hand.

"Ahhhhhh! She's trying to whack me!" Megan screams and zooms out before Phoenix

and Athena despite being meters behind them.

"Holy s-sugar!" Phoenix yells.

The librarian was leaping strides, her hair was wild and her fingernails

cruel and sharp. Phoenix could almost see smoke gushing out her nose, and

red piercing eyes.

"B-Boss! Court starts in seven minutes!" Athena shouts, checking the library's

grandfather clock before bursting out the exit.

"SHH! SHH! SHHHHHHH!" the librarian takes one last stride and hits the lawyers

hard with her weapon of knowledge.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the two screamed before flying headfirst out the door and

across the street, knocking Athena unconscious.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT KEEPING QUIET!" the mad librarian shrills. She

then proceeds to stomp back inside her library lair of doom.

"Oh no..." Phoenix breathed. He picked up Athena and cradled her the best

he could in his arms before sprinting towards the courthouse.

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** September 8th**

** 11:15am**

** District Court - Defendant Lobby No.3**

"Outta my waaaaayyyy!"

"Huh? Hey, Meekins, did you hear that?" Candice Arme asked.

"SIR YES SIR! I did hear that, sir!" Mike Meekins yelled through his megaphone.

"I didn't ask for you to make me deaf!" growled Candice.

"S-Sorry sir..."

"Now, it sounded kind of like... someone I think I know... shouting... Out,

outta? Outta my...?"

"GET OUTTA MY WAAAAAYYY!" Phoenix screamed and barrelled through the two

officers.

"M-Mr Wright?!" exclaimed Candice, scrambling to her feet "What is the meaning

of this?! Why aren't you in the Defendant Lobby?!".

"Er, Athena wanted to go for a run so I ran after her to stop her... and

she... tripped and... banged her head" lies Phoenix.

"Well... the trial starts in less than a minute, so get your behind to the

bench right now!"

"SIR! What about the fainted girl, sir?!"

Candice let a sympathetic look wash over her face as she stared at Athena's

limp body.

"I'll take her to the clinic in my car" she lifted Athena "Meekins, direct

Mr Wright to the courtroom"

"SIR YES SIR!" the bailiff faced Phoenix "LET'S GO NOW SIR!"

"A-Ah, yes! No need to shove...!"

"Sir! There is a trial to attend! We must make haste!"

"Yeah but..." Phoenix glances back at Athena "What am I supposed to do without

my analytical psychologist?"

**-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-**

_**AN: Ooh! Suspense! What will Phoenix do without Athena? ...Probably bluff**_

_**his way through like usual... BUT WHO KNOWS?! Certainly not me! ...Maybe...**_


End file.
